An imaging apparatus includes an automatic exposure control unit that changes an exposure value based on luminance detected by a luminance detection unit for detecting luminance of an imaging screen, and a luminance changing amount detection unit that detects a luminance changing amount in the imaging screen. A method of setting an exposure value is changed between when the luminance changing amount detected by the luminance changing amount detection unit exceeds a preset luminance changing amount and when the luminance changing amount does not exceed the preset luminance changing amount.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An imaging apparatus comprising: a luminance detection unit adapted to detect luminance of an object; an automatic exposure control unit adapted to change at least one of exposure parameters based on a luminance amount detected by the luminance detection unit; and a luminance changing amount detection unit adapted to detect a luminance changing amount based on the luminance amount detected by the luminance detection unit, wherein the automatic exposure control unit is adapted to inhibit change of the exposure parameters when the luminance changing amount detected by the luminance changing amount detection unit exceeds a preset luminance changing amount and to release the inhibition of change of the exposure parameters when a predetermined time passes after the inhibition of change of the exposure parameters starts.
2. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the automatic exposure control unit is adapted to release the inhibition of change of the exposure parameters when the luminance changing amount detected by the luminance changing amount detection unit does not exceed the preset luminance changing amount before the predetermined time passes after the inhibition of change of the exposure parameters starts.
3. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the automatic exposure control unit is adapted to maintain the inhibition of change of the exposure parameters when the luminance changing amount detected by the luminance changing amount detection unit exceeds the preset luminance changing amount before the predetermined time passes after the inhibition of change of the exposure parameters starts.
4. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the luminance detection unit is adapted to detect the luminance in each of a plurality of areas, and the automatic exposure control unit is adapted to inhibit change of the exposure parameters when the luminance changing amount detected by the luminance changing amount detection unit exceeds the preset luminance changing amount in a predetermined area.
5. An imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the predetermined area is an area located in an end of an imaging screen.
6. An imaging apparatus comprising: a luminance detection unit adapted to detect luminance of an object; an automatic exposure control unit adapted to change at least one of exposure parameters based on the luminance detected by the luminance detection unit; and an exposure changing amount detection unit adapted to detect an exposure amount changed by the automatic exposure control unit, wherein the automatic exposure control unit is adapted to inhibit change of the exposure parameters when the exposure changing amount detected by the exposure changing amount detection unit exceeds a preset exposure changing amount and to release the inhibition of change of the exposure parameters when a predetermined time passes after the inhibition of change of the exposure parameters starts.
7. An exposure control method of an imaging apparatus, comprising: a luminance detection step of detecting luminance of an object; an exposure value changing step of changing at least one of exposure parameters based on the luminance detected by the luminance detection step; an exposure changing amount detection step of detecting an exposure amount changed by an automatic exposure control unit; a step of inhibiting change of the exposure parameters when the exposure changing amount detected by the exposure changing amount detection step exceeds a preset exposure changing amount; and a step of releasing the inhibition of change of the exposure parameters when a predetermined time passes after the fixing of the inhibition of change of the exposure parameters starts.
8. An exposure control method of an imaging apparatus, comprising a luminance detection step of detecting luminance of an object; an automatic exposure control step of changing at least one of exposure parameters based on a luminance amount detected in the luminance detection step; and a luminance changing amount detection step of detecting a luminance changing amount based on luminance amount detected at the luminance detection step, wherein in the automatic exposure control step, a change of the exposure parameters is inhibited when the luminance changing amount detected in the luminance changing amount detection step exceeds a preset luminance changing amount and the inhibition of change of the exposure parameters is released when a predetermined time passes after the inhibition of change of the exposure parameters starts.
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May 11, 2005
August 30, 2011
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